Harvester.



A. B. MEINHARDT.

HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1o, 1916.

,224,003. Patented Apr. 24,1917.

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A. B. MEINHARDT.

HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FxLED JUNE lo. 1915.

,224, 003 Patented Apr. 24, 191.7.

4 SHEETS--SHEET 3.

A. B. MEINHARDT.

HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE lo. |916.

Patented Apr. 24,1917.

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.ADAM IB. MEINHARDT, OF PAXICO, KANSAS.

HARVESTER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2d, 195i?.

Original application filed December 30, 1915, Serial No. 69,469. Dividedand this application led. June 10, 1916. Serial No. 102,859.

To all whom t may concern.'

le it known that l, ADAM l5. MEIN- rmnnr, residing at Panico, in thecounty of llllabaunsee and State of Kansas, have invented certain newand useful improvements in Hawesters, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inharvesters and the invention primarily has for its objectto provideimprovements in the construction of the elevating conveyer whichcooperates with the platform conveyer to raise the grain to the binderapparatus. The principal object of the invention is to provide aself-adjusting elevator or conveyor so designed as to automaticallyadapt itself to the variations in the grain, thus allowing the grain topass evenly at sudden changes from light to heavy and thereby preventingthe choking of the elevator.

rllhe invention also includes as a part of the elevator structure a mainconveyer and a butt end elevating conveyer adjacent to the main conveyerand having fingers for engaging the grain to eifect a more evenelevation of the grain, or in other words, the invention provides asprocket chain butt carrier in connection with the elevator proper forthe purpose of elevating the butt ends of the grain more evenly with thegrain head, thus enabling the provision of a wellbound straight bundleand preventing formation of ragged bundles and preventing the cuttingmechanism and the end of the platform below the elevator from becomingchoked by tangled grain.

The invention is especially adapted for use in connection with theharvester which forms the subject matter of my original applicationfiled December 30, 1915, Serial No. 694:69, of which application thepresent application is a divisional part.

rl`he invention includesthose novel details of construction, combinationand arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described,then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims and illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l (composed of Figs. 1A and 1B connected on the line ELT-S) is aside elevation of the right hand side of the harvester embodying theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the front half of the harvester looking atthe same from the left.

3 is a cross section taken approxiw mately on the line X-X of F ig. 1B,looking toward the back of the machine (the left in Fig. 1B).

Fig. et is an enlarged detail elevation of the upper elevator gearing.

Fig. 5 is a detail cross section on the line .5-5 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on the line G-G of Fig. 4l.

Fig. 7 is a detail cross section on one of the elevator hangers at theplatform end of the elevator.

F ig. 8 is a cross section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. -9 is a front elevation of a portion of the butt end elevatorchain.

Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of the butt endelevator chain.

In the drawings in which like numerals and letters of reference indicatelike parts in all of the figures, l is the spokeless wheel whichsupports the principal weight of the parts and designates the casterwheel on the outer side ofthe Orain platform which is mounted on the arm56 that is carried by a portion of the frame of the machine and supportsthe platform side of the vehicle.

207X is the operators platform.

16 designates the groove rollers which run in the frame of the spokelesswheel 1 and sustain the wheel side of the machine.

l2 designates vthe longitudinal channel portion of the supporting frameof the machine, 43 the back bar, 44C the lateral platform supportingextension bar at the bottom and i9 the lateral extension platformsupporting bar at the top, all of which frame parts may be constructedas shown in my original application hereinbefore referred to.

The -machine is driven through shafts 823-84 that are geared together asat 98 and have driving pinions 112 that engage the rack 10 of thespokeless wheel, the shafts Sii- 84: being driven by a drive shaft 126which is gearedf through a transmission shaft 122 and suitable gearingwith the shaft 88. As the construction of the driving mechanism, per se,forms no part of the present invention, but forms a part of thesubjectmatter of my original application, further detail referencethereto in this specification is thought to be unnecessary.

` and 3).

The construction of the elevator is best shown in Figs. 1A, 2 and 3, byreference to which it will be seen that two sideboards 305 are providedand secured to the body frame. They extend upwardly from the grainplatform at about an angle of O and terminate about in the mid-verticallongitudinal plane of the spokeless wheel. The sideboards 305 areconnected together at the top by a bridgeboard 306.

The elevator proper includes two belt conveyers, one 307 of which isfixed as to location while the other 30S is adjustably mounted, (seeFig. 3). At the lower end', the'belt307 passes around a roller 3 09,suitably journaled in the sideboards, the space between thel roller 309and the grain platfOr-mconveyer being closed by a bridge bar 310 (seeFig.

311 represents the upper roller of the lower elevator belt and fromwhich the belt is driven. The roller 311 (see Fig. 1) has its shaft ends312 suitably j'ournaled in bearings in the sideboard's (see Figs. 1^ Theshaft 312 (and consequently the roller 311) is driven by a sprocket 313around which the main drive chain 195 passes. The-upper conveyer of theelevator has the shaft 314 of the upper or driver roller 315 journaledin verticallyv slidable bearing blocks 316 which arel held in theslideways 318 in the sideboards 305 (see Figs. 1B and 4), the blocks 316being held down by yielding springs 318, the tension of which may beadjusted by screws 319 operating on blocks' 320 above the springs. Asbest shown in Fig. 4, it will be seen that 321 is a plate having a `slot322 through which the fastening screw 323 passes to shiftably hold theplate on the sideboard 3,05.v rIhe plate 321 has studs 324 on whichintermeshing pinions 325 are mounted, the studs being linked up with therespective Y shafts 312-314 by links 326 so as to hold the pinions 324in mesh with gears 327-323, as the shafts 312-314 are separated or comecloser together in regulation.

In order to allow the Aupper belt to travel faster than the lower belt,when urged by the grain, Aor in other words,-(t0 allow such ,belt toslip) i I mount the gear 328 loosely o n thel shaft 314 and provide itwith a ratchet face 329 to be engagedy with the y. pawls 332 that arejournaled at 331 in sockets on the disk 330 which is iXed tothe shaft314. Y'Ihe pawls 332 are engaged by springs 324 held in sockets 333 onthe disk 330 (see Figs. 53nd 6)'.

,Inyorder tof effecty a moreeven elevation' of the grain, I provide alchain finger supplemental elevator section to assist in raising the'grain butts.` This comprises a sprocket onl the shafts 309-312 atthepentrance' side' of the' machine around whichV a chain' 33'5"composed of links, some of which have lingers 336 (see Figs. 1^, 2, 9and 10) passes. The chain is kept taut by an adjustable tension device337 (see Fig. 1A).

In practice, the finger 336 prevents the lagging of the grain buttswhile passing Off the elevator and keeps the grain straight. rlfhe lowerroller 339 of the upper elevator conveyer has its shaft 340 journaled inbearings in the swinging frame 341 which is hung on the shaft 314` k(seeFig. The lower end of the frame 341 isV yiel'dingly supported at eachside from the sideboard by devices best shown in Figs. 2, 7 and 8. Atthe front end there is a stud 342 (see Fig. 2) to which the lower end343 of the bolt 344 is pivoted. rlhe bolt 344 passes through a bracket345 and carries a tension spring 346 and an adjusting nut 347, as shown.At the rear end a bracket 343 is fastened toy the sideboard 305 and onwhich a rock bearing 349 is carried. 350 is a bolt slidable in a bearing349y (see Figs. 3, 7 and 3) and thc bolt is pivoted at 351 to the stud352 on the armv 353 that projects from a plate 354, the plate beingfastened to the side bar of the' frame 341. The arm 363 has a portion355 that extends through the slot 356 in the sideboard 305 and engagesthe same (see Fig. 7) tonhold the frame 341 close to the sideboard.lThus, it will be observed, as grain enters between the upper and lowerconveyers they will separate or come together to adjust themselves tothe quantity of grain being delivered to the elevator from the ygrainplatform and thereby prevent choking of the platform conveyer or of theelevator.

257 is the Grain platform on which the grain is dropped from the cuttingmechanism 297-302 and the grain platform is driven from the shaft 258 bythe sprocket 259 over which the chain 195 passes. As the construction ofthe platform and' cutting mechanism, 79er se, form no part of theinvention claimed in the present application, a further detaileddescription of the same is thought to be unnecessary as the constructionof the platform and the cutting mechanism forms the subject matter ofanother divisional application filed on even date herewith, Serial No.102,856.`

From the foregoing description taken in lconnection with theaccompanying drawings, it is thought the complete construction,operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understoody bythose skilled in the art.

Vhat I claim is 1. In a harvester, an' elevator for conveying the grainfrom the platform and delivering it from the machine, said elevatorcomprising a lower endless conveyer and an upper endless conveyerbetween which conveyers the grain carried, yieldable supports for saidupper conveyer whereby the space between said upper and lower conveyersmay be self-adjusted by the grain, said supports comprising verticallyslotted guides adjacent to the upper end of the upper conveyer, bearingsmounted in said slotted guides in which bearings the upper conveyershaft is journaled and spring pressed pivoted suspension members forsustaining the lower end of the upper conveyer for longitudinal and riseand fall movement-adjustment, means for applying direct driving power toone of said conveyers, power trans.- mitting gear connections betweenthe upper and lower conveyers, said connections including' shiftableelements, and means for maintaining said elements in operativeengagement to permit the rise and fall of the upper conveyer inperforming its self-adjusting functions.

2. In a harvester, the combination with the body frame including aplatform and wheel support therefor, means for moving the body from overthe ground, a grain platform conveyer, a cutting mechanism in advance ofsaid conveyer, an elevator for raising the grain from the conveyer anddelivering it from the machine, said elevator comprising a lower endlessconveyer, and an upper endless conveyer between which conveyers thegrain is carried, yieldable supports for said upper conveyer whereby thespace between said upper and lower conveyers may be self-adjusted by thegrain, said supports comprising a fixed member having vertical slots,vertical slide bearings for the upper end of the upper conveyer, saidbearings being movable in said slots and yieldably suspended pivotallymounted members for sustaining the lower end of the upper conveyer, abutt end elevating conveyer adjacent to and coperative with said lowerelevator conveyer, said butt conveyer including fingers to engage thegrain, adjacent drive shafts having conveyer rolls for the upper andlower conveyers, gears on said drive shafts, intermeshing pinionsthemselves respectively meshing with said gears, means for supportingsaid pinions to maintain them in mesh with one another, and with theirrespective gears as said elevator conveyers adjust themselves for thegrain, and means for applying direct power to one of the elevatorconveying shafts.

3. In a harvester, an elevator for conveying the grain from the platformand delivering it from the machine, said elevator comprising a lowerrelatively iixedly located endless conveyer, and an upper endlessconveyer, between which conveyers the grain is carried, a driving shaftat the upper extremity of the lower conveyer, a driving gear on saiddriving shaft, a driving shaft at the upper extremity of said upperconveyer, a driving gear on said upper conveyer driving shaft, aplurality of intermeshing pinions connecting said driving gears, ayieldable support for said upper conveyer driving shaft, devicescooperative with said gears and pinions for maintaining said gears andpinions constantly in mesh during the yielding movements of said upperconveyer driving shaft, and supports for yieldably pivoting the lowerextremity of said upper conveyer.

el. In a harvester, an elevator for conveying the grain from theplatform and delivering it from the machine, said elevator comprising alower relatively fixedly located endless conveyer, and an upper endlessconveyer, between which conveyers the grain is carried, a driving shaftat the upper extremity of the lower conveyer, a driving gear on saiddriving shaft, a driving shaft at the upper extremity of said upperconveyer, a driving gear on said upper conveyer driving shaft,intermeshing pinions connecting said driving gears, a yieldable supportfor said upper conveyer driving shaft and devices cooperative with saidgears and pinions for maintaining' said gears and pinions constantly inmesh during the yielding movements of said upper conveyer driving shaft,one of said driving gears including a yielding clutch device.

5. In a harvester, an elevator for conveying the grain from the platformand delivering it from the machine, said elevator comprising a lowerrelatively fixedly located endless conveyer, and an upper cndlessconveyer, between which conveyers the grain is carried, a driving shaftat the upper extremity of the lower conveyer, a driving gear on saiddriving shaft, a driving shaft at the upper extremity of said upperconveyer, a driving gear on said upper conveyer driving shaft,intermeshing pinions connecting said driving gears, a yieldable supportfor said upper conveyer driving shaft, devices coperative with saidgears and pinions for maintaining said gears and pinions constantly inmesh during the yielding movements of said upper conveyer driving shaft,and supports for floating the lower extremity of said upper conveyer,and one of said driving gears including a yielding clutch device,substantially as shown and described.

6. In a harvester, an elevator for conveying the grain from the platformand delivering it from the machine, said elevator comprising a lowerendless conveyer, a driving shaft for said conveyer, an upper endlessconveyer, a driving shaft for said upper endless conveyer, means forsupporting said lowir conveyer in a relatively fixed location, means forsupporting the driving shaft of said upper conveyer to yieldingly movetoward and from the drive shaft of said lower conveyer, means foryieldably and pivotally supporting the lower portion of said upper ingthe grain from the platformy and delivering it from the machine, saidelevator comprising a lower endless conveyer, a drivingv shaft for saidconveyer, an up'per endless conveyer, a driving shaft for said upperendless conveyer,'means for supporting said lower conveyer inarelatively fixed location, means for supporting the driving shaftl ofsaid'upper conveyer to yieldingly move toward and fromv the drive shaftof said lower conveyer, means for yieldably and pivotally supporting thelower portion of saidl upper conveyer whereby said upper conveyor mayhave a pivotal'motion on its drive shaft or move with the drive shafttoward and from the lower conveyer, power transmission ccnnectionsbetween said drive shafts, said connections including shiftableelements, means formaint'aining said elements in operative engagement topermit the rise and fall of the upper conveyer in performing itsselfadjusting functions, said power transmission gear connectionsincluding master gears on the respective drive shaft-s, said shiftableelements including intermeshing pinions respectively meshing with therespective master gears, substantially as shown and described.

8. In a harvester, an elevating mechanism comprising side boardsupports, a lower endless belt conveyer having upper and lower shaftsjournaled in said side board supports, an upper endless belt conveyerhaving an upper shaft, a lower shaft and a frame journaled on the uppershaft and carrying the lower shaft, a yieldably pivoted means forsupporting the lower extremity of said frame from said side boardsupports, bearing blocks for the upper shaft of the conveyer, said sideboard supports having verti cal slots for said bearing blocks, yieldablemeans for bracing said bearing blocks downwardly, means for driving theupper shaft of the lower conveyer, gear connections between said uppershafts of said upper and lower conveyers whereby the upper conveyer isdriven from the lower conveyer, substantially as shown and described.

9. In a harvester, an elevating mechanism comprising side boardsupports, a lower endless belt conveyer having upper andv lower shaftsjournaled in said side board supports, an upper endless belt conveyerhaving an upper shaft, a lower shaft and a frame journaled on the uppershaft and carrying the lower shaft, yieldably pivoted means forsupporting the lower extremity of Asaid frame from said side boardsupports, bear ing blocks for the upper shaft of the upper conveyer,said side board supports having vertical slots for said bearing blocks,yieldable means for bracing said bearing blocks downwardly, means fordriving the upper shaft of the lower conveyer, gear connections betweensaid upper shafts of said upper and lower eonveyers whereby the upperconveyer is driven from the lower conveyer, the shafts of said lowerconveyer being eX- tended beyond the front side board, sprockets on saidshaft extensions, a conveyer chain passing around said sprocketssubstantially as shown and described.y I

ADAM B. MEINHARDT.

Copies of this patent A11i-ay' be" obtained for five cents each', byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

